Paralegal Blog

Center for Advanced Legal Studies would like to thank Amanda DeVincenzo of DeVincenzo Consulting for her wonderful presentation on September 4, 2018 regarding the many opportunities to work as virtual and freelance paralegals. CALS would also like to thank Crystal Cornett and Paralegal's Connect for helping organize and present this seminar. Thank you Crystal and all the members of Paralegal's Connect who attended.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

One measure of success is the ability to do meaningful work with a lasting impact. A paralegal career gives countless opportunities to make a difference in the lives of many people. The role of the paralegal in the legal field often directly intersects with individual lives, local communities, and even the future direction of the law.

When we think of paralegals who changed the world, most people are familiar with the work of Erin Brockovich in spearing the effort to help those affected by contaminated water, or the whistleblowing activities of Merrell Williams in bringing down the deceptive practices of the Tobacco industry. Yet, the day to day work of countless, unsung heroes is a common theme in the paralegal profession.

It is an exciting time to begin a career as a paralegal. In recent decades, the paralegal profession has continued to grow and expand into new, nontraditional fields. As we discussed previously in our blog, the rate of paralegal employment is expected to grow 8% from 2014-2024.1

The emergence of new industries and increasing efficiency in the legal industry has led to a higher demand for paralegal services.2 This trend is not new. The National Federation of Paralegal Associations expressed that this job growth is occurring in nontraditional environments, outside of traditional law firms. As we have reported before, tech companies such as Amazon are calling paralegal and legal assistants a “high demand field” and including tuition reimbursement for paralegal programs.

Whether you’re interested in a paralegal education or already a paralegal, you may be wondering what jobs are available for paralegals. What if you are not interested in working as a traditional paralegal? Are you looking for something different, but don’t know what else you can do with a paralegal certificate or degree? Here are just a few related jobs that applicants with paralegal training can branch into:

Contracts Administrator

Do you enjoy reviewing contracts? A contract administrator makes sure the parties involved practice due diligence and comply with the terms, conditions, rights and obligations of a contract. He or she also coordinates any changes to the agreement that might occur over the course of the contract and performs the closeout process when both parties have met their obligations. If you loved your Corporate and Business Law class, then this may be an area of interest for you!

During most of the history of the practice of law, legal documents were handwritten by skilled paralegals first known as scribes and later as scriveners. Legal documents during this period were customized, and the quality of the handwriting, in addition to the content, was important. In other words, legal documents were distinctive, in part, because the handwriting added an artistic quality. Beginning in about 1900, this was to change in a major way with the introduction of the typewriter.

The typewriter offered not only much greater efficiency with respect to the preparation of legal documents, it also established a much greater uniformity. The distinctive handwriting of the scrivener gave way to a new consistency in format and a greater focus on content. The result was no less than a transformation of the practice of law, as well as the role of the paralegal. The “Perry Mason/Della Street” era in the history of law practice had begun, and the legal secretary became the primary non-lawyer presence in the law office.